California does not have enough psychiatrists to meet the needs of the people. Experts predict that if current trends continue, then California will have 41 percent fewer psychiatrists than it needs. The state will also have 11 percent fewer psychologists than it needs.

Not only is there a shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists, but this field is also aging. Thirty-seven percent of psychologists are over the age of 60. Forty-five percent of psychiatrists are over the age of 60. Janet Coffman is an associate professor of health policy who works at UCSF. She stated that the state needs to make investments in order to address the shortage.

Janet also stated that many people are working until they reach 70. However, that is still a problem because many older people reduce their working hours. That is why Janet believes that people should start addressing this shortage. She believes that one way that this problem can be addressed is by having psychiatrists work with primary care doctors. She believes that a team-based approach will work better.

Janet still believes that psychiatrists need to have more training. The mental health professional shortage is a state-wide problem. However, the shortage is worse in the San Juaquin Valley and Inland Empire. The report also showed that Latinos and African-Americans are under-represented in the mental health field.

Untreated mental illness can have a number of devastating effects. Many of the people who are homeless have a mental illness. People who have untreated mental illness can also have problems in their relationships. In some cases, mental illness has lead to violence.

California is not the only state that has experienced a shortage of mental health professionals. Utah and Georgia also do not have enough mental health professionals. Many states are opting to use telemedicine in order to address the shortage.